Printing Industries of America Supports Introduction of The Innovation Act of 2013

Monday, October 28, 2013

Press release from the issuing company

Washington, D.C. - Printing Industries of America today issued the following statement in support of the introduction of The Innovation Act of 2013.

Printing Industries of America applauds the efforts of House Judiciary Committee Chairman Bob Goodlatte (R-VA) and a bipartisan group of co-sponsors for the introduction of The Innovation Act of 2013. This bipartisan legislation aims to address the recent abuses of the legal system by patent-assertion entities, or "patent trolls." It is estimated that more than $29 billion per year is wasted on these lawsuits, and that does not account for the loss of innovation. This bill would increase transparency, discourage frivolous patent litigation, and update current U.S. patent laws.

"Instead of focusing on innovation and job creation, many businesses, including printing companies, have to devote significant resources to defending against these costly lawsuits," said Lisbeth Lyons, Vice President of Government Affairs. "Abusive patent litigation is a strain on the economy, leading to truly wasted capital—capital that could have been used to create jobs or fund further innovation in the marketplace."

Lyons continued, "Printing Industries of America continues to push for passage of this legislation to encourage patent holders to use their technology to further incentivize creativity, rather than extort expensive settlements from downstream users. The introduction of this bill is a major step forward in curbing expensive and frivolous patent litigation. We look forward to working with Chairman Goodlatte and his colleagues on a bipartisan basis to promptly move the bill through the Judiciary Committee toward full House approval."

Not all "non-practicing entities" are "patent trolls." Trolls rely on the costs and time of litigation forcing out-of-court settlements. The EFF cites a study in the link above that found that less than 10% of the trolls actually win in court if they get that far.